Customer Reviews

Number Two Express

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

tracks feature trios, quartets, a quintet, and on the last track a duet. the three songs not written by mcbride are piano trios, mcbride, dejohnette on drums, and chick corea on piano on corea's tones for joan's bones, and mcbride, dejohnette and kenny baron on piano on wayne shorter's miyako and ornette coleman's jayne.

alto sax players on different tracks are kenny garrett, who many listeners consider the best alto sax player of this century and the late nineties, and gary bartz, who i consider the best alto sax player of the seventies and late sixties. steve nelson, these days with dave holland's quintet and big band, is on vibes.

the last track, a recording of freddie hubbard's little sunflower, is a duet between mcbride and the french born percussionist, mino cinelu, who has played with miles davis, kenny barron, dave holland and kevin eubanks.

the lineups speak pages for the cd.

Frankly, I've always thought this was Christian's most progressive album. It blends the elements far better than I think all of his other ones (including "Live at Tonic"), and I think it's particularly special here because this was very, very early in Christian's development in sticking his feet into different territory. Listen to Divergence and Little Sunflower and pretty much the way Christian blends with Chick Corea and Jack DeJohnette throughout. I thought (and still think) this CD's pretty incredible.

A stellar lineup of players, but nothing special here from Christian McBride on bass. Three tunes in particular do shine for him: Miyako, Grove, and the perenial Little Sunflower.

Christian is the man, this a great album. Throw guys like Chick Corea into the mix and there is no way you can lose.